Photo: (L-R) Drakeo the Ruler (Walik Goshorn/MediaPunch /IPX), FBG Cash in his video for "YB Flow" (Official FBGCash via YouTube), Young Dolph (mpi04/MediaPunch /IPX) Dayvon "King Von" Bennett (provided to NPR courtesy of the artist).
Oakland rapper Seagram Miller was shot and killed in a flurry of gunfire on July 31, 1996. Three years earlier, he escaped an assignation attempt after a song he had recorded in 1993 angered an Oakland drug kingpin, leading to the first attempt on Seagram’s life.
Seagram and a friend (who was injured) had just gotten out of a van when they were fired upon. They were in East Oakland, which police said was known for violence and drug trafficking.
Seagram, 26, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Highland Hospital, where he died, The San Francisco Gate reported.
Seagram released two albums, and they are quite opposite from each other. “The Dark Roads” has been described as hard-edged and violent. Meanwhile, “Reality Check” has a laid-back West Coast vibe.
His first posthumous album titled, “Souls on Ice,” was released in 1997.
Mr. Cee (born Kyle Church III) was part of the RBL Posse, whose two albums, “Lesson to Be Learned” in 1992 and “Ruthless by Law” in 1994, landed the San Francisco group a major label deal with Atlantic Records subsidiary Big Beat in 1995.
But just a few months later on Jan. 1, 1996, less than a mile from his family home, Mr. Cee was shot nine times. Witnesses said Cee was hanging out New Year’s morning with friends when a gunman armed with a black 9mm semi-automatic came and shot at the crowd. The shooting reportedly stemmed from a beef the gunman had with one of the people in Cee’s crew, XXL reported. Cee was 22.
Edgar Givens was better known in the hip-hop world as Pimp Daddy. He was part of the Cash Money Record crew and was considered a pioneer in bringing New Orleans bounce music to the masses, XXL reported. With memorable singles such as “Got 2 Be Real,” Pimp was very much a regional star.
He released his debut album, “Still Pimpin’,” in 1994, but was killed soon after on April 18, 1994. He was just 18 years old.
Many believe he died over love triangle. Pimp was said to be dating Ms. Tee, another Cash Money bounce artist. But another female artist, Cheeky Blakk, claimed Pimp was the father of her child. The rumor is that Pimp was in an argument with Ms. Tee’s brother when he was shot at point blank range, XXL reported.
Charles Edward Hicks Jr. performed under the name Charizma and was an MC from Milpitas, California. Best known for his work with Peanut Butter Wolf in the 1990s, Charizma was murdered on Dec. 16, 1993.
Charizma was just 13 when he started rhyming at high school talent shows. At age 16 in 1990 he met and started collaborating and performing live with 19-year-old Chris Manak, also known as Peanut Butter Wolf. The two were offered deals from some major record labels including Columbia Records. They signed with the Disney-owned record label Hollywood Basic, now Hollywood Records, Stones Throw reported.
While the two recorded several tracks, Hollywood Basic did not release an album due to creative differences between the artists and the label.
Regardless of this, the duo had a loyal fanbase. They even opened for Nas and The Pharcyde.
Charizma was shot dead in a mugging outside a church in East Palo Alto. He was on his way to pick up his mother and was sitting in his car at a stoplight in front of a church when a man approached his car and shot him once in the chest, killing him, Stones Throw reported. The suspect was arrested that day.
On Oct. 6, 1990, a gunshot and subsequent car crash caused the death of Christian hip-hop artist Danny D-Boy Rodriguez in Dallas.
That night, Danny set out to drop some kids off that were hanging at his apartment. He also needed to return a movie to Blockbuster but forgot his wallet. As he was about to turn his car around when he was approached by a white male who shot him, Rapzilla reported.
Rodriguez tried to drive himself to the hospital but his car hit a curb and became airborne and struck a streetlight, Cross Rhythms reported in 1990.
He released two albums, and a third posthumously.
Harlem-based B-Doggs (born Brandon Mitchell) was part of Wreckx-n-Effect, a New York new jack swing group founded in 1987. New jack or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop.
Signed to Motown, Wreckx-n-Effect released their self-titled debut album in 1989 and it went as high as No. 16 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. It produced the hit singles “New Jack Swing” and “Juicy.”
But not long after the release of the album, B-Doggs, 20, was shot and killed on Aug. 8, 1990, during an alleged argument over a woman, XXL reported.
Paul C. McKasty was better known in the hip-hop world as Paul C. Considered one of the pioneers of East Coast hip hop, he was a producer, engineer, and mixer in the 1980s.
He worked with groups and artists such as Organized Konfusion, Kwamé, Queen Latifah, Biz Markie, Ultramagnetic MCs, and Eric B & Rakim.
On July 17, 1989, Paul C was shot to death in Rosedale, Queens, at the age of 24, UPI reported.
His murder was featured on “America’s Most Wanted,” leading to the arrest of Derrick “Little Shine” Blair in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The police were unable to determine a motive for McKasty’s murder.
Scott Sterling, aka DJ Scott La Rock of Boogie Down Productions, was just on the verge of fame when he was shot and killed on Aug. 27, 1987, in the South Bronx, New York City.
His shooting death was the first of its kind in hip-hop and it was a shock to the industry, The Source reported.
Prior to launching his professional music career, DJ Scott was a social worker and it was during this time in 1986 that he met Lawrence “Kris” Parker — stage name: KRS-One — at the Franklin Men’s Shelter in the Bronx. KRS was homeless at the time. The two formed Boogie Down Productions (BDP) with DJ Derrick “D-Nice” Jones, whose cousin worked at the shelter.
DJ Scott’s murder happened as the release of their classic debut album, “Criminal Minded,” was making a name for the new crew.
Following his partner’s death, KRS started the Stop The Violence Movement. He promoted the movement on his “By All Means Necessary” album and its star-studded “Self Destruction” single.
A fight involving D-Nice eventually led to DJ Scott’s death. According to reports, D-Nice had gotten caught with someone’s girl and had a gun pulled on him. He was also beaten up. He wanted DJ Scott to broker the peace, but before DJ Scott could do so, things spiraled out of control.
DJ Scott ran into the crew of the men who had given D-Nice a beat down, and while trying to break up a fight, DJ Scott was shot.
Two men were arrested and charged with DJ Scott’s murder, but they were acquitted at the trial, XXL reported.
Bad News Brown (born Paul Frappier) from Montreal, Canada, by way of Haiti, was found dead on a street corner on Feb. 11, 2011. He was 33.
Born in Haiti, he moved to Montreal at a young age, where he lived with his adoptive family, CTV reported.
As a teen, Bad News Brown’s reputation as a skilled MC and harmonica player grew fast, and he went on to share the stage with such hip-hop heavyweights as Ice-T, Cypress Hill, and De La Soul.
Adán Zapata Morales was a popular Mexican hip-hop artist. From 2006 until his death, he was part of the group Mente En Blanco (MEB) as lead vocalist. He and friends co-founded the group when he was just 12.
On June 1, 2012, at the age of 21, he was assassinated. Authorities said that besides hip-hop, he was also involved in organized crime. On that fateful day, he was in a van with three other members of his group when it was shot up. The day before his death, his baby was born, Prezi blog reported.
